1

Harbormaster and Visiting Boater Center Feasibility Study

Public Meeting - October 3rd, 2017City of Gloucester

Harriman | CLE Engineering

Purpose of the Study

2

This is a Feasibility Study for both the Harbormaster facilities and co-located visitor boating facilities within Gloucester Harbor.

This study is being undertaken to confirm the facility needs for the future, confirm the best location for these facilities, and provide cost estimates and related information to support future grant applications and capital funding. This is a focused study associated with these specific uses, and does not extend to facilities for other existing or potential Gloucester Harbor activities.

Study Team

3

The process is being conducted with the assistance of the Harbormaster and City Staff, and the steering committee includes Chair of the Waterways Board and Director of Public Works as members.

The planning process is being carried out with the assistance of a professional team of planners, architects, and engineers with specialized expertise in the siting and design of similar facilities. The team is composed of Harriman, a multi-disciplinary planning and engineering firm, with marine engineering assistance provided by CLE Engineering.

Process

4

The process has included:

• Reviews of previous plans and reports• Confirmation of potential sites to be considered• Interviews with various stakeholders• Assembly and evaluation of site information and waterside conditions• Preparation of the space needs requirements (landside and waterside)• Feasibility studies of candidate sites• Comparative evaluations based on criteria

Process

Project Initiation Harbor

Context Analysis

Program of Space Needs

Potential Site Analysis

Evaluation Criteria

Draft Findings

Final Report

Public Meeting

6

Potential Sites Considered

• 19 Harbor Loop (current Harbormaster facility)

• 104 Commercial Street (Cape Pond Ice)

• 112 Commercial Street

• 65-65R Rogers Street (I4C2 Parcel)

• 417 Main Street

• 6 Cripple Cove Lane

Sites were chosen that were presumed to be available because of City ownership or available through lease or sale when the study was initiated.

7

HARBOR CONTEXT:Chapter 91/ DPA

• All sites are within the Chapter 91 jurisdiction boundary

• All sites are within the Designated Port Area (DPA) boundary except 112 Commercial Street and 6 Cripple Cove Lane

8

HARBOR CONTEXT:Depth and Channels

The facilities will need to have enough unobstructed water at low tide to accommodate visiting vessels with a moderate draft (at least 6 feet).

9

Program of Space Requirements

• The “program” is the list of space requirements and functional relationships that the facilities should ideally contain to meet current and anticipated needs.

• The program for the Harbormaster and visiting boat facilities was created through an evaluation of the existing operations and spaces, interviews with City staff, and comparisons with other similar facilities.

• The detailed program breaks down all of the component needs.

10

Program of Space Requirements: LandsideHARBORMASTER FACILITY FUNCTION REQUIREMENTS AND NEEDS DESCRIPTION/ NOTES UNITS

SQ FT/UNIT

TOTAL SQ FT

OFFICE AND SUPPORT SPACEHarbormaster Office Daily work space 1 office for one person Space for a desk, shelves, 2 or 3 chairs, and a working table 1 150 150

Staff Offices Daily work space 4 offices for staffSpace for a desk, shelves, chairs, and communications equipment

4 100 400

Meeting Space Meeting area Up to 20 people Estimated at 20 sqft per seating person 20 20 400

Office Storage File storage 2 office spaces for file storage Space for file cabinets, and office equipment 2 100 200

Equipment StorageBoat and mooring equipment

1 boat up to 26 feet, and mooring equipmentEstimated at 300 sqft per boat, plus estimated additional 200 sqft space for mooring equipment and circulation

1 300500

1 200Lobby/Reception/Waiting Area

Seating area for publicSmall seating area for people waiting for appointments

Estimated at 25 sqft per seating person, seating for 4 people

4 25 100

Administrative Assistant Area

Work space on the ground floor

Desk space next to reception/waiting area Space for a desk, shelves, and 2 chairs 1 100 100

Restrooms Office restrooms 2 staff restrooms 2 ADA accessible, individual restrooms 2 50 100

Mechanical/Maintenance Maintenance workshopSmall maintenance workshop area, shelves, benches

Space for shelves, cabinets, a working table/ counter, and circulation

1 200 200

Pantry/Kitchenette/Lunch Room

Food storage and eatingCounter, sink, shelves, refrigerator, table and chairs

Could be located near the meeting space for food service 1 200 200

Mechanical/Utility Room Space for HVAC, hot water, telephone, utility equipment 1 150 150Subtotal Net Office and Support Space

Sum of Above Space Requirements 2,500

Circulation/Miscellaneous Estimated at 25% of net square footage for office/support space 625SUBTOTAL OFFICE AND SUPPORT SPACE 3,125

VISITING BOATER CENTERLounge Transient boaters lounge 15’ x 30’ lounge Access to WIFI and has a television 1 450 450

Restrooms Visitor restrooms 2 ADA-accessible restrooms One individual male and female 2 50 100

Temporary Storage Visitor temporary storage Locker room storage Lockers 1 40 40

Showers Showers 2 ADA-accessible showers One individual male and female 2 80 160

Changing Rooms Visitor changing rooms 2 small changing rooms One individual male and female 2 50 100Subtotal Net Visiting Boater Center

Sum of Above Space Requirements 850

Circulation/Miscellaneous Estimated at 25% of net square footage for visiting boater center 213SUBTOTAL VISITING BOATER CENTER 1,063

11

Program of Space Requirement: WatersideHARBORMASTER FACILITY FUNCTION REQUIREMENTS AND NEEDS DESCRIPTION/ NOTES UNITS

SQFT/ UNIT

TOTAL SQFT

PARKING AND CIRCULATION *

Staff Parking Parking for staff 5 staff parking spaces and 1 boat trailer space

Estimated at 300 sqft per parking space (including vehicle circulation and maneuvering space), 600 sqft per trailer space (including circulation and maneuvering for a car/truck plus trailer)

5 300

2,1001 600

Visitor Parking Parking for visitors 4 visitor parking spacesEstimated at 300 sqft per parking space (including vehicle circulation and maneuvering space)

4 300 1,200

Bicycle Facilities (Racks/Storage)

Small bike rack and/or storage space Estimated space for 4-bike storage rack (including circulation)

1 50 50

Subtotal Net Parking and Circulation

Sum of Above Space Requirements 3,350

Pedestrian Access/ Landscaping

Estimated at 35% of net square footage for parking and circulation 1,172

SUBTOTAL PARKING AND CIRCULATION* 4,522WATERSIDE ACCESS AND DOCKING**

Vessel DockingDocking for Harbormaster boats and transient boaters

Docking for 6 Harbormaster-owned boats and 10 transient boats various lengths

Included in slips configuration below

Slips (Vessel Number, Maximum Length, Draft)

Slips 15 slips total max length 50 ft max draft 6 ft 17,000 sqft assumed, depending on configuration* 17,000

Dinghies Slips 15 dinghy spots 2 ft draft 40’x8’ dock assumed, with docking on both sides* 1,120

Launches 1 launch 1 City-owned launch 26 ft A boat that transports passengers and/or mooring equipment

280

Float Dimension Requirements

FloatsAll floats min of 6’x 20’ compared to existing setup

SUBTOTAL WATERSIDE ACCESS AND DOCKING** 18,400SUMMARY

TOTAL BUILDING AREA (Harbormaster Office and Visiting Boater Center) 4,200TOTAL [MINIMUM] SITE AREA (Estimated building footprint, parking, circulation and landscaping) 8,700

TOTAL WATERSIDE AREA (Docking for 6 Harbormaster vessels, 10 transient boats, 15 visiting boater slips, and 15 dinghies) 18,400

Harbormaster Facilities (Landside)

Harbormaster Office and Support Space ±3,125 square feet

Visiting Boater Facilities ±1,050 square feet

Total for Harbormaster Facilities (Landside) ±4,175 square feet

Parking

Staff Parking 5 parking spaces

Staff Parking 1 boat trailer space

Visitor Parking 4 parking spaces

Bike rack and storage space

Minimum Waterside Requirements

Vessel Docking 6 Harbormaster-owned boats

Launch 1 City-owned launch – 26 feet

Desirable Additional Waterside Requirements

Transient Vessels - Slips 15 slips

(Total maximum length 50 feet, maximum draft 6 feet)

Dinghies 15 spots (draft 2 feet)

12

Program Summary

Site Analysis and Fit Studies

19 Harbor Loop104 Commercial Street

(Cape Pond Ice)

112 Commercial Street

65-65R Rogers Street

417 Main Street

6 Cripple Cove Lane

13

• 19 Harbor Loop (current Harbormaster facility)

• 104 Commercial Street (Cape Pond Ice)

• 112 Commercial Street

• 65-65R Rogers Street (I4C2 Parcel)

• 417 Main Street

• 6 Cripple Cove Lane

19 Harbor Loop (Current Harbormaster Facility)• Owned by Massachusetts Electric Company,

rented by the City

• Good landside access

• Excellent waterside access and visibility

• Inside DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

14

19 Harbor Loop (Current Harbormaster Facility)

15

• Building areas can be improved to provide for all Harbormaster and visiting boater facility needs, with some flood-resistant measures on the ground level.

• Waterside capacity matches minimum program requirements

• Existing waterside infrastructure including new floats and boat pump out facility

• Proximity to Coast Guard Station

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements: approximately $1.3 million

• Comparative cost basis, including net present value of the 30-year lease: approximately $2.4 million

19 Harbor Loop (Current Harbormaster Facility)

16

• Two level facility with visiting boater center on the first level and Harbormaster’s offices on the second level

• Visiting boater center spaces could be used flexibly

104 Commercial Street(Cape Pond Ice Site)

17

• Privately-owned; recently purchased and now assumed to be no longer on the market

• Limited landside access and visibility from Commercial Street

• Limited waterside access (no floating docks available)

• Inside DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

104 Commercial Street(Cape Pond Ice Site)• Adequate space for landside facilities

• Insufficient space for waterside infrastructure

• Waterside infrastructure will require deauthorization of the portion of the Federal Channel

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements including waterside improvements: approximately $3.8 million

• Comparative cost basis, including acquisition cost: approximately $4.9 million

18

112 Commercial Street(City-Owned)

19

• Owned by the City of Gloucester

• Limited landside access and visibility from Commercial Street

• Good waterside access, but waterside area constrained by distance to Federal Channel

• Landside out of DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

112 Commercial Street(City-Owned)• Adequate space for landside facilities

• Severe wave exposure

• Insufficient space for waterside infrastructure

• Waterside infrastructure will require deauthorization of the portion of the Federal Channel

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements including waterside improvements: approximately $4.1 million

• Comparative cost basis, including opportunity cost land: approximately $4.3 million

20

65-65R Rogers Street(I4C2 Site, City-Owned)

21

• Owned by the City of Gloucester

• Excellent landside access from Rogers Street

• Good waterside access and visibility (would need a reconfiguration of docking area)

• Inside DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

65-65R Rogers Street(I4C2 Site, City-Owned)• Adequate space for landside facilities

• Proximity to Gloucester Downtown

• Requires reconfiguring existing commercial fishing vessel docks

• Insufficient space to accommodate any transient vessels

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements including waterside improvements: approximately $3.7 million

• Comparative cost basis, including opportunity cost land: approximately $3.9 million

22

417 Main Street(Potentially Available for Rent)

23

• Privately-owned, potentially available for rent

• Good landside access and visibility from Main Street

• Limited waterside access (no floating docks available)

• Inside DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

417 Main Street(Potentially Available for Rent)

24

• Adequate space for landside facilities

• May require relocation of commercial fishing vessels dockage

• High waterside infrastructure costs

• Sufficient space to accommodate 4 transient vessels and 15 dinghies

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements including waterside improvements: approximately $2.1 million

• Comparative cost basis, including net present value of 30-year lease: approximately $3.1 million

6 Cripple Cove Lane(Potential New Acquisition)

25

• Privately-owned, potentially available for sale

• Good landside access and visibility from East Main Street (relatively far from Downtown)

• Good waterside access (existing floating dock system)

• Outside of DPA boundary

• Site is within the FEMA 100-year flood plain

6 Cripple Cove Lane(Potential New Acquisition)• Adequate space for landside facilities

• Located on the northern end of the harbor

• High acquisition cost

• Potential revenue generating opportunities

• Sufficient space to accommodate Harbormaster owned boats and additional 18 transient vessels and 15 dinghies

• Estimated project cost for additional improvements: approximately $1.1 million

• Comparative cost basis, including acquisition cost: approximately $3.6 million

26

• Financial, operational, civic factors evaluation criteria established in discussion with City staff

• Weight criteria established for multiple factors based on the scale of low to high priority (low priority – 1 and high priority – 5) to the function and operations of the Harbormaster and visiting boater facility

• Each site based on comparative evaluations assigned a base score from 0 to 10 for individual factors

• Weight criteria and individual base scores utilized to develop overall Weighted Score

Evaluation Criteria and Draft Evaluation

27

• Existing waterside improvements, visibility from harbor, lease breakup, and ability to accommodate waterside program weigh in favor of the 19 Harbor Loop site

• 65-65R Rogers Street (I4C2 Parcel) and 6 Cripple Cove Lane are potentially competitive sites due to their ability to accommodate Harbormaster’s operations and visiting boater center facilities including additional slips.

• Financial factors weigh strongly in favor of 19 Harbor Loop site with low capital costs

Evaluation Criteria and Draft Evaluation

28

Evaluation Criteria and Draft Evaluation

29

Thank you

19 Harbor Loop104 Commercial Street

(Cape Pond Ice)

112 Commercial Street

65-65R Rogers Street

417 Main Street

6 Cripple Cove Lane

30

• 19 Harbor Loop (current Harbormaster facility)

• 104 Commercial Street (Cape Pond Ice)

• 112 Commercial Street

• 65-65R Rogers Street (I4C2 Parcel)

• 417 Main Street

• 6 Cripple Cove Lane